Do we have too much data? Here’s how to choose the metrics that actually drive your business forward

Every week, your company produces reports. Dashboards are filled with graphs, KPIs are presented at executive meetings, and CRM systems are configured to measure everything that can be measured. Yet, rarely does anything happen. The numbers are discussed, the meeting ends—and next week, the procedure repeats itself. Is the problem that you’re measuring too little? No. Paradoxically, it’s more likely that you’re measuring too much.

That’s the starting point for the latest episode of We Love Salespeople, in which Jonas Olofsson sits down with Peter Håkansson, a consultant at Adviser Partner and former CEO of Panasonic Sweden. Peter brings with him the experience of having led a global technology company as he enters a new phase of his career as a consultant—and he’s clear about what he observes when he joins executive teams across Sweden.

In the interview, Peter Håkansson shares several invaluable strategies. Here are 3 insights you won’t want to miss:

1. More data doesn’t lead to better decisions—it just leads to more reporting

One of the most common myths in modern leadership is that more information automatically leads to better decisions. Peter challenges that notion head-on. In his role as a consultant, he sees time and again how organizations build up impressive data sets and sophisticated dashboards—without it leading to any change in behavior.

The problem is not a lack of data, but a lack of connection between data and accountability. When no one knows who owns which statistics, when data points are not linked to concrete actions, and when reports are passed along rather than used, data becomes an obstacle rather than a tool.

"In practice, the more data we have, the more reports tend to be generated that are meant to be discussed. And when I say 'discussed,' I’m making a clear distinction from being followed up on."

This line of reasoning is central to Adviser Partners’ Way of Sales methodology, in which statistics are defined as a tool for observation—not reporting. A statistic is valuable only when it makes you smarter and drives you toward the right course of action.

2. 6–12 salespeople – the golden ratio for a sales organization

How many KPIs should your sales department actually have? Peter and Jonas highlight a concrete rule of thumb, firmly rooted in Adviser Partners’ Sales Management framework: a total of 6–12 metrics spread across three levels.

If you focus on too few things, you risk missing important signals. If you focus on too many, you lose your focus and your ability to prioritize. There is a well-known phenomenon in leadership that says what you pay attention to is what you get more of. If you pay attention to the wrong things—or too many things—you steer the company in the wrong direction without even realizing it.

"If you try to take in too much, you won't be able to see it very clearly. You have to break it down into what's essential and what's trivial."

The recommended breakdown is: 1–2 primary metrics (the company’s or department’s most important goals), 3–6 secondary metrics (the actions that lead to achieving the primary goal), and 2–4 key metrics (quality metrics such as close rate and average deal size). Listen to the episode to hear how Peter puts this into practice.

3. A strategy is in place—but there is no implementation plan

Peter Håkansson shares an observation that is as simple as it is unsettling: most companies have a strategy. But that strategy lacks a concrete plan for how to implement it here and now. Ambitions are articulated, three-year goals are set—and then the vast majority of management’s time is spent analyzing the external environment rather than planning their own actions.

This leads to a situation where statistics and reports are treated as a kind of causal analysis—people discuss why things are the way they are—but no one takes the step of deciding what actually needs to be done. Responsibility falls through the cracks, and change fails to materialize.

"We don't even spend half the time on the implementation plan right now. And then there's the third part: how we measure and follow up on it."

Adviser Partners’ Way of Sales emphasizes that a goal without an action plan is nothing more than wishful thinking. The right metrics are selected based on where the company wants to go—and measure whether the actions taken are actually moving the company in the right direction.

Next Step

This is just a fraction of the insights Peter Håkansson shares. Would you like to hear the entire conversation, get more concrete examples, and dive deeper into how the right use of data and statistics can transform your sales organization? Listen to the full episode of We Love Salespeople here!

Would you and your sales team like to have the tools to implement these strategies and reach new heights? Adviser Partner can help you build a high-performing sales culture. Contact us at expansion@adviser-partner.se or visit www.adviser-partner.se to learn more about our proven Way of Sales methodology.